USGIF News Feedhttp://usgif.org/news
News about USGIF.en-usSun Aug 02 15:24:46 -0700 2015Amazon Donates to USGIF when you shop with AmazonSmileThe AmazonSmile Foundation is a 501c(3) private foundation created by Amazon. For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to your selected charitable organization. We hope you'll select USGIF!

http://usgif.org/news/amazon-donates-to-usgif-when-you-shop-with-amazonsmile
http://usgif.org/news/amazon-donates-to-usgif-when-you-shop-with-amazonsmileUSGIF2015-07-30 17:54:00 UTCUSGIF Seeking SMEs & Pilot Exam Test Takers - Aug. 14-15USGIF is seeking geospatial professionals with 3-5 years of experience to take "pilot exams":http://usgif.org/education/Prof_Cert/PilotExams, as part of USGIF’s upcoming Universal GEOINT Certification program, on *Aug. 15 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. at USGIF headquarters in Herndon, Va.* The two pilot exams will be focused on Remote Sensing & Imagery Analysis and GIS & Analysis Tools.
USGIF is also looking for "Subject Matter Experts":http://usgif.org/education/Prof_Cert/SME (SMEs) to participate in an in-person item writing workshop *Aug. 14-15 at USGIF headquarters 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days.* Item writing is to develop and review test questions for the Universal GEOINT Certification program.
*If you are interested in participating as a SME or would like to sign up for the pilot exams, contact USGIF’s Justin Franz at "Justin.franz@usgif.org":mailto:justin.franz@usgif.org. The exams are limited to 16 individuals per session at no cost and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.*
Learn more about the "pilot exams":http://usgif.org/education/Prof_Cert/PilotExams, "how to qualify as a SME":http://usgif.org/education/Prof_Cert/SME, and the upcoming "Universal GEOINT Certification program":http://usgif.org/education/Prof_Cert.http://usgif.org/news/usgif-seeking-smes-pilot-exam-test-takers-aug-14-15
http://usgif.org/news/usgif-seeking-smes-pilot-exam-test-takers-aug-14-15USGIF2015-07-27 17:02:00 UTCSmallSat in the GEOINT Architecture Panel - Aug. 12The "USGIF SmallSat Working Group":http://usgif.org/community/Committees/SmallSat is hosting a panel during the Small Satellite Conference at Utah State University in Logan, UT. *The panel will take place Aug. 12 from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. at the university in the Eccles Science and Learning Center in Room 007.*
The "panel":http://usgif.org/community/Committees/SmallSat, titled "SmallSats in the GEOINT Architecture," focuses on how small satellites fit into the GEOINT Community. The panelists will discuss what GEOINT is and how the community is starting to adopt the small satellite paradigm. Come learn about how the SmallSat community and GEOINT Community overlap and ask questions about how you can get involved in encouraging the use of SmallSats in the GEOINT customer base, both government and commercial.
*Panelists:*
* *Rob Zitz*, Senior Vice President & Chief Systems Architect of Leidos
* *Dan Twomey*, Manager, Engineering, NJVC
* *Chris McCormick*, Founder of PlanetiQ
_This side meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more about what GEOINT is and how small satellites could play a larger role in the community. No RSVP necessary._
http://usgif.org/news/smallsat-in-the-geoint-architecture-panel-aug-12
http://usgif.org/news/smallsat-in-the-geoint-architecture-panel-aug-12USGIF2015-07-24 14:56:00 UTCRecord Attendance & Exhibitors at the GEOINT 2015 SymposiumUSGIF hosted a record number of attendees and exhibiting organizations at its "GEOINT 2015 Symposium":http://geoint2015.com/, June 22-25, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This was the 11th GEOINT Symposium and the first to be held in Washington, D.C.
GEOINT 2015 drew 5,498 attendees and 294 "exhibiting organizations":http://geoint2015.com/expo/exhibit-list, USGIF CEO Keith Masback announced during the Foundation’s July 14 GEOINTeraction Tuesday networking event. Among the nearly 5,500 Symposium attendees were 1,478 government personnel, including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. This incredible turnout also included employees representing more than 250 federal, state, and local agencies, offices, and organizations as well as strong international participation from 28 countries.
“Geospatial intelligence has now transcended the national security and government spaces and is moving into a competitive intelligence arena alongside business intelligence,” Masback said. “We know what our focus is, and we see this tremendous opportunity for our entire membership to go beyond that. These numbers are only valuable if there were good exchanges in the exhibit hall, meaningful engagement in the training events, and great content presented on the main stage and government pavilion stage.”
GEOINT 2015 training, education, and professional development offerings also received considerable interest. Nearly 890 individuals attended "GEOINT Foreword":http://geoint2015.com/agenda/Foreword, the pre-symposium science and technology-focused day. "Training sessions":http://geoint2015.com/agenda/EduTraining doubled from last year’s Symposium with more than 80 hours available and 1,100 participants. This year, many training sessions offered for the first time continuing education units accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training.
GEOINT 2015 also provided attendees the opportunity for free to take two pilot exams as part of USGIF’s "Universal GEOINT Credentialing program":http://usgif.org/education/Prof_Cert, which is being developed for launch later this year. More than 100 GEOINT professionals sat for the GIS and remote sensing-focused exams.
“As technology advances and tradecraft evolves, the next step in the maturation of the GEOINT discipline is to provide professional certification for the workforce,” Masback said.
In addition to its other programs and activities for the community, USGIF is already preparing for the GEOINT 2016 Symposium. *GEOINT 2016 will be held May 15-18, 2016, when it returns to the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.*
http://usgif.org/news/record-attendance-exhibitors-at-the-geoint-2015-symposium
http://usgif.org/news/record-attendance-exhibitors-at-the-geoint-2015-symposiumUSGIF2015-07-20 15:59:00 UTCDownload the GEOINT EBK Today!In fall 2015, USGIF will launch its professional Universal GEOINT Certification. The development of any new certification begins with the creation of an essential body of knowledge (EBK) for that profession. Earlier this month, USGIF produced the "*GEOINT EBK*":http://usgif.org/education/geoint_EBK by conducting a cross-industry job analysis to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities critical to the GEOINT workforce.
This document provides background information and context as well as outlines standards for the broad practice of GEOINT. The GEOINT EBK is at the heart of USGIF’s efforts to professionalize the global GEOINT workforce. Within this document are examples of transparency and transportability, the hallmarks of the USGIF Credentialing Program.
"*Download the GEOINT EBK*":http://usgif.org/system/uploads/3858/original/EBK.pdf
"*Learn more about the EBK and the Universal GEOINT Certification.*":http://usgif.org/education/Prof_Certhttp://usgif.org/news/download-the-geoint-ebk-today
http://usgif.org/news/download-the-geoint-ebk-todayUSGIF2015-07-17 20:04:00 UTCUSGIF Opens Industry Solutions MarketspaceUSGIF collaborated with OGSystems to develop an "*Industry Solutions Marketspace*":http://usgif.org/community/ISM (ISM) community. ISM is a digital, personal experience for industry and academia to showcase the functionality and interoperability of their solutions. ISM creates a channel—allowing anyone from industry and academia with or without government contracting experience—to show existing solutions to real-world GEOINT problems, all while protecting intellectual property.
There are two user types within the community: Explorers (potential customers) and Solution Providers. Explorers provide mission needs, challenges, and interaction with suppliers through crowdsource-style projects and challenges.
This environment fosters and proliferates transparency and marketing, online collaboration, immersive solution assessment, and business process modernization.
"*Check out ISM*":https://www.jivango.com/community/about/geoint-industry-solutions-marketspacehttp://usgif.org/news/usgif-opens-industry-solutions-marketspace
http://usgif.org/news/usgif-opens-industry-solutions-marketspaceUSGIF2015-07-15 15:10:00 UTCHear USGIF CEO at AFCEA Event July 16USGIF CEO Keith Masback will be participating in AFCEA's "The Flavor of Intelligence panel discussion":http://www.afcea.org/mission/intel/EPIC_Event.asp July 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Northrop Grumman Fair Lakes Facility in Fairfax, Va.
This panel will feature distinguished experts from the HUMINT, SIGINT, GEOINT, and OSINT Communities to discuss the mission and differences of each of these intelligence gathering disciplines.
"See event details":http://www.afcea.org/mission/intel/EPIC_Event.asp
"*Register for this event.*":http://www.afcea.org/events/register.cfm?ev=348http://usgif.org/news/hear-usgif-ceo-at-afcea-event-july-16
http://usgif.org/news/hear-usgif-ceo-at-afcea-event-july-16USGIF2015-07-15 13:14:00 UTCJoin USGIF For GEOINTeraction Tuesday July 14USGIF is hosting its bimonthly "GEOINTeraction Tuesday":http://usgif.org/events/geointeraction event *July 14 at the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center in Tysons, VA from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.*
USGIF CEO Keith Masback will be speaking at this event. As a post-GEOINT 2015 get-together, Masback will provide stats from the GEOINT 2015 Symposium, discuss upcoming events and activities, and talk about the new USGIF membership structure.
This event is free for USGIF Members and $35 for Non-members.
*RSVP to "rsvp@usgif.org":mailto:rsvp@usgif.org to attend!*http://usgif.org/news/join-usgif-for-geointeraction-tuesday-july-14
http://usgif.org/news/join-usgif-for-geointeraction-tuesday-july-14USGIF2015-07-10 14:38:00 UTCUSGIF Names 2015 Lundahl-Finnie Lifetime Achievement Award RecipientThis morning, USGIF announced Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff for the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF), as the 2015 recipient of the USGIF Arthur C. Lundahl–Thomas C. Finnie Lifetime Achievement Award. Peach is the 11th individual to receive this prestigious award and was recognized during the GEOINT 2015 Symposium general session.
Peach was unable to attend the Symposium, and instead sent a video of his acceptance speech to be played for the audience.
“Thank you so much for honoring me with this award,” said Peach. “It is of course not for me, it is for all of the members of the United Kingdom intelligence services past, present, and hopefully future who worked so closely in partnership with you for so many years. …I’m proud to be part of the reconnaissance gang, I’m very proud to be part of the Intelligence Community. I see in so many of my predecessors on this hall of fame great friends and particularly great mentors. I would just simply highlight two—the great intelligencer Johnny Allen and my lifelong friend and mentor Jim Clapper. Both mean a lot to me and both mean a lot to their friends in the United Kingdom. To join them makes me humble.”
Peach was commissioned into the RAF in 1977, and flew a Canberras in a photographic reconnaissance role prior to three successive tours on Tornado GR1 in the U.K. and Germany. He commanded the IX bomber squadron at RAF Brüggen in Germany from 1994 to 996. Peach’s staff tours include personal staff officer to the Deputy Commander and Commander-in-Chief in RAF Germany as well as executive officer to the Commander of the Second Allied Tactical Air Force and the Director of Defence Studies for RAF.
Peach’s operational service includes: Belize, Hong Kong, and Germany in the 1980s; Deputy Commander of British Forces in Turkey; U.K. Head Military Coordination Centre Zakho in Iraq; Detachment Commander in Saudi Arabia; Commander of British Forces in Italy; Air Commander (Forward) in HQ KFOR in Kosovo; and Deputy Senior British Military Adviser in U.S. HQ Central Command from 2001 to 2002.
He commanded the Air Warfare Centre at RAF Waddington from 2000 to 2003, was Director of General Intelligence Collection with the Ministry of Defence from 2003 to 2006, and served as Chief of Defence Intelligence and Deputy Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee from 2006 to 2009. Peach held the appointment of Chief of Joint Operations at PJHQ in the U.K. from March 2009 to December 2011 before becoming the first Commander of the U.K. Joint Forces Command from December 2011 to April 2013. He was appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in May 2013.
Peach is a deputy lieutenant of the County of Lincolnshire, trustee of the Imperial War Museum, Honorary Colonel of the Joint Services Signals Unit, and an honorary fellow of Downing College, Cambridge.
"The USGIF Board of Directors recognizes Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach for his engaging leadership and vision,” said The Honorable Jeffrey K. Harris, Chairman of the USGIF Board of Directors. “His intimate knowledge and understanding of the expanded role of GEOINT in defense and intelligence has helped us extend our trans-Atlantic partnership. His substantial influence over the last decade will have a lasting positive impact on our mission.”
The Lundahl-Finnie award recipient is nominated and voted on by the USGIF Board of Directors. This distinguished award is named after Arthur C. Lundahl and Thomas C. Finnie, celebrating their accomplishments—in imagery analysis and mapping, respectively—and their legacy within the GEOINT Community.
To learn more about the Lundahl-Finnie Lifetime Achievement Award and its past recipients, visit the "Lifetime Achievement Award webpage":http://usgif.org/community/LifetimeAward.
http://usgif.org/news/usgif-names-2015-lundahl-finnie-lifetime-achievement-award-recipient
http://usgif.org/news/usgif-names-2015-lundahl-finnie-lifetime-achievement-award-recipientUSGIF2015-06-25 14:13:00 UTCCBP Agent Geoffrey Krassy Honored with Lt. Michael P. Murphy AwardThis afternoon at USGIF's GEOINT 2015 Symposium, the 2015 Lt. Michael P. Murphy Award in Geospatial Intelligence was presented to Geoffrey D. Krassy, an air interdiction agent for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (DHS CBP). David Alexander, director of the Department of Homeland Security Geospatial Management Office, presented the award to Krassy on the Government Pavilion Stage in the GEOINT 2015 Exhibit Hall.
The Murphy Award is named for Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a distinguished Penn State alumnus. Murphy was killed June 28, 2005, by enemy forces during a reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan. For his selfless leadership and courageous actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The Murphy Award recognizes achievement by a Penn State graduate who is serving or has served in the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. Intelligence Community. Recipients are chosen based upon demonstration of exceptional contributions to the discipline after completing Penn State’s graduate certificate in geospatial intelligence.
"Geoff’s experience as a Special Operations Pilot combined with his education achievements in geospatial science resulted in a uniquely insightful and practical study addressing the optimal placement of radar to detect low-altitude, ultralight aircraft crossing the U.S. border,” said Dr. Todd Bacastow, professor of practice for geospatial intelligence at Pennsylvania State University. “Geoff’s work offers invaluable lessons into how automated geospatial analysis might be used by the defensive planner."
Since 2007, Krassy has served as a CBP air interdiction agent along the U.S. southern border. He also served on the project team that integrates fixed wing patrol aircraft remote sensing capabilities into a common geospatial picture, maximizing the seamless transfer of data between, and interoperability of, DHS air, marine, and, ground forces. Krassy recently achieved a master of professional studies in homeland security from Penn State and holds a bachelor’s degree in history from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Penn. Following graduation from King’s College in 1989, Krassy served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force with Special Operations Forces in the European and African theaters.
“We at USGIF are truly honored to support this award, given in the name of Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Michael Murphy,” said USGIF CEO Keith Masback. “Further, having the award presented annually at the GEOINT Symposium serves as an important reminder to our attendees about the consequences of the work performed by GEOINT professionals every day. Geoff Krassy exemplifies the very best our profession has to offer and is richly deserving of this meaningful recognition.”
The generosity of USGIF, the DigitalGlobe Foundation, and faculty, staff, and friends of Penn State fund the Murphy Award.
http://usgif.org/news/cbp-agent-geoffrey-krassy-honored-with-lt-michael-p-murphy-award
http://usgif.org/news/cbp-agent-geoffrey-krassy-honored-with-lt-michael-p-murphy-awardUSGIF2015-06-24 18:44:00 UTC